Rogue's Princess
by bhriongloidrinceoir
Summary: When a new thief arrives in Corus, the Rogue feels it may benefit him to bring her into his Court. What he does not realize is the life that this girl has been running from. Will he be able to help Nikki straighten out where she should be in life?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

She was good at being still and silent. It was something all noble ladies were taught, but that was no longer her world. Now, Nicole of River's Rock was hidden in the shadows in Corus. She was all alone and dressed in soft, brown breeches, and a green shirt. Her long hair was braided down her back, but some shorter strands played across her face in the breeze. She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear as she observed the market. She smiled grimly at the thought of what her parents would say if they heard what their daughter was doing. It was their own fault that Nicole, Nikki, had decided to run away in the first place. She shook her head and resumed observing the town's square. Nikki was waiting until there was a large crowd around the stalls so that she could steal something to eat. Stealing wasn't something she necessarily loved doing, but it was how she had to survive. She watched closely as a young man sidled up to one of the richer looking men. The young man casually reached out and stole the other man's purse and was gone in an instant. Nikki tried especially hard not to laugh, especially when the man who had just lost his purse looked in her direction.

After standing in the doorway and observing a little longer, Nikki moved out into the crowds. She walked with purpose, like she actually knew where she was going. She kept her hand on her own purse while wandering through the square. She did not want to fall victim to a thief when her purse was already so light. Nikki had to be careful not to anger the other thieves by stealing from their claimed territory. She knew that the King of Thieves would want a share in any spoils and she did not want to become a servant to anyone. Nikki planned to eke out a living in Corus for a while and then she would move on so that no one would recognize her or try to force her back to her old life. Little did she know that someone had already taken an interest in her. The Rogue had been interested in her since she had first entered Corus. The Rogue had spotted her entering the town and had also spotted some of her early purse snatchings. He was impressed and wanted to know more about this young thief, but that seemed to be a hard task. He had sent his men to follow her and find out where she was lodging.

Without realizing her pursuers, Nikki wandered happily through the marketplace. Eventually, she spotted her target. A pompous looking official was wandering about the different stalls with a look of distaste plastered on his face. She approached him, seeing that he wore his purse on the side of his belt instead of the front she realized he was a visitor to these busy streets. Nikki came right up to him.

"Good afternoon, sir," she said in a fair impression of Corus' accent. The man looked startled. Nikki continued with a grin, "You look a little lost, could I be of some assistance?"

"How dare you think you could help someone of my intelligence, you little waif!," he scowled. "You commoners have absolutely no manners at all. Didn't your mother ever teach you to wear women's clothing? Get out of my way!"

Nikki waved as the man hurried off, but that had been exactly what she had wanted. As the official had swept past her, she had taken his purse, and he had not even noticed. She weighed the bag in her hand as she walked away. He would miss his purse, but he had money elsewhere. This purse would buy her a nice supper somewhere. Now that she had some money, Nikki began to wander the vendors happily looking at what they had to sell.

Meanwhile, one of the Rogue's spies kept tailing her while the other went to report to the Rogue. When the Rogue heard about Nikki's pick-pocketing prowess, he was extremely interested. He asked many questions including where she was from and where she was staying while in Corus, but his man did not have any of the answers. The Rogue grumbled at the lack of information, but was excited because this girl may be of use to him. "Bring her to me tonight," the Rogue ordered his man. "I would like to have a chat with this young lady." The man hurried off to find Nikki and her other tail while the Rogue contemplated who this new thief was and who she may already be working for. She was rare, not many girls were thieves, just informants within the Court of the Rogue. Change was in the air.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Nikki was still wandering the streets at dusk. She had bought some small cakes from a baker earlier, but she was still hungry. She found herself wandering up to the castle gates. She had always wondered what it would be like to go to the palace and all of the parties and dress up and have suitors, but that would not happen now. Nikki reached out a hand and brushed the gates with her fingertips. That was a foreign world now. Suddenly, she heard footsteps behind her. Nikki turned and began walking back along the main road. The houses were quiet and she could hear the man breathing behind her. She kept waiting for the ambush and it finally came outside one of the abandoned boarding houses. A man materialized in front of her and she could immediately tell that he was a thief. His clothes were torn and dirty, but the knife on his belt was sharp.

"Now where is a pretty little thing like you going all alone at night?" asked the thief in a gravelly voice.

"Home," Nikki answered assertively. She turned to find a side street and discovered that there was another thief behind her.

"Leaving so soon?" the other thief asked. "We was hoping you'd join us for some supper."

"No thank you. I have already eaten," she replied with a slightly snobbish tone. Her hand was now resting on her dagger hilt at her waist. She was watching and listening for any signs of movement.

"Come now, lass. We got a friend who's very eager to meet ya," drawled the rogue who was now at her back.

"I think your friend will just have to be disappointed then. I am not going anywhere with you two." Nikki's eyes lit up. She had just found her escape route down a darker alleyway off to her right.

"Sorry, lass, but that just ain't an option. We got orders an' we ain't losin' ears on your behalf," growled the rogue behind her. That was when she decided it was time to go. The two men had made a signal and Nikki saw that knives had appeared in their hands. She forced herself to stand her ground until they were almost on top of her and then she feinted to the left and knocked the one man into his friend. They went down in a pile and Nikki took off down the alley to her right. Behind her she heard the two men cursing, but she just turned a corner and kept on running.

Even while running, Nikki kept playing the scenario over and over in her head. She could not figure out why some thief would want to see her. She turned down another alley and found herself heading back toward the main road. She turned out on the road and heard footsteps behind her. Nikki ignored the sound because there were a few people out and around in this part of town. It was only when she realized that the speed of the footsteps had increased that she looked back. The two thieves were sprinting towards her and the gap was closing too quickly. Nikki took off running as fast as she could towards the populated part of town.

Unfortunately, she had realized her danger a little too late. The footsteps were on top of her before she knew it. The wind was knocked out of her as she was hit from behind. Her forehead hit a stone sticking out of the road, but she barely noticed it. She pushed the rogue off of her and she started up again pulling her knife from her belt when the other rogue knocked her to the ground again. Her knife went flying and she did not get a chance to grab another. She kicked and hit and was finally rewarded with a muffled grunt. She elbowed the other in the nose and lunged for her knife. As she reached it, someone else picked it up.

"Give it back, thief!" she exclaimed as she moved to get up, but the other two rogues had recovered enough to restrain her arms and pull her away from the smiling man who had her knife.

"Now, now, that ain't the way to speak to his Majesty, is it now?" asked one of the men who was holding her arms.

As Nikki squinted up at the man in the darkness, the other man who was holding her addressed the man with her knife. "We tried to bring her like ya asked, Majesty, but she gave us the slip. She's a tricky one." Nikki stared him down.

"So you're the one who sent these goons after me?" she asked.

"Aye," replied the Rogue. "Why don't you come in for a drink?" he asked making a motion towards the inn behind him.

"I would rather you return my knife, tell your men to let go, and let me go home," she replied forcefully.

He looked her over seriously. "No running off?" When she nodded, he signaled his men and they let go and wandered into the inn. Nikki held out her hand for the knife. He gave her a long look and finally handed her knife back. "That's a nice blade you've got there, lass."

"I know," she replied as she put the knife back in her belt. Nikki looked back up to find the Rogue studying her. "What?"

His gaze stopped at her hairline. "You're bleedin' lass. How about you come on in and we'll fix you up?" Nikki shook her head and took a small step backwards.

"I can take care of myself."

"I don't doubt that la…."

He dropped off as Nikki took off down an alley. Nikki was putting as much energy into her escape as possible, but she was drained after her run in with the other rogues. All too quickly she was immobilized by the Rouge with his knife pressed against her throat.

"I wouldn' try that again lass," the Rogue growled in her ear. "Now, we're goin' back to the inn to have a nice chat like two civilized people." Nikki nodded stiffly, feeling very aware of the knife's sharp edge against her skin. The Rogue put his knife back in his belt, and took a vice like hold on her arm. He steered her forcefully back to the inn called the Dancing Dove.

Now that Nikki did not have adrenaline coursing through her body, she was feeling dizzy. She was actually thankful that the Rogue had such a tight grip on her arm. They were almost at the door to the inn when Nikki stumbled. The Rogue caught her before she hit the ground and then he moved her under a light to see what was wrong. Nikki blinked in the torchlight. He went to move her hair off of her face, but Nikki knocked his hand away.

"I'm fine…." She mumbled, but she really didn't believe her own voice. Her head was starting to hurt and she couldn't focus on what all was going on.

"There is a lot of blood and I want to know how bad you're actually hurt," he replied in such a gentle voice that she let him lift her hair and look at the cut. "We had better get you inside and cleaned up quick." He took a better hold on her arm and helped her through the door and into a large, noisy room. He steered her towards the bar and Nikki noticed several people turning to look at her and the Rogue.

"Solom, send up some hot water and bandages to my room and other than that I don't want to be disturbed," the Rogue ordered in an urgent voice and then he steered Nikki up the stairs.

When they got to the top, the Rogue unlocked the door and settled Nikki in a chair near the table. From her position, Nikki could look around the entire apartment. She supposed it looked like it should belong to a thief with all of the mismatched furnishings scattered around. Nikki was still finding that she could not concentrate as well as usual and her headache was increasing. Her eyes started to droop, but she shook herself awake. She would _not_ fall asleep here, with a man she did not know. Nikki put a hand to her aching head. When she touched her hairline a sharp pain flashed through her skull, making her gasp and her vision blurred. She pulled her hand away to find blood all over her fingers and that was when she realized that it was also dripping down the side of her face. She felt sick.

The Rogue returned with some clean cloths, a needle, thread, and some whiskey. He quickly surveyed her and noticed the blood on her fingers.

"You shouldn't go touchin' it lass," he told her as she started to clean the blood off of her fingers. If she hadn't been so dizzy from the cut, Nikki never would have let him do that. There was a soft knock at the door and one of the serving girls came in with a bowl of steaming water and the bandages the Rogue had asked for. He directed her to put the supplies on the table in front of Nikki. When the girl had left, the Rogue started to soak one of the cloths in the water.

"I can do it myself," Nikki demanded even though the room seemed to be swaying.

"Oh no, let someone else take care of you," the Rogue said with a grin. He poured some of the whiskey on the wet cloth. "What's your name, lass?"

"What's your name?" She was not giving out information to total strangers no matter how hurt she was.

The Rogue's grin broadened. "Ladies first…"

Nikki sighed. She just wanted this awful headache to go away. She took a deep breath and looked at the table. "My name is Nikki."

"And my name is George. It is a pleasure to meet you," George said as he wrung a little of the water out of the cloth. "Now we really need to clean this wound." With that George pressed the cloth to her forehead. Nikki hissed with pain because of the sudden pressure and then she sank into unconsciousness. George caught her once again and laid her on the bed so he could get a better look at the cut. Then he washed the cut and her face and stitched the wound closed. He wrapped her head with a soft bandage and tucked the covers around her after removing her knife belt and boots.

George had just finished putting away the supplies when he realized that Nikki was shivering under the blanket. He grabbed another blanket and wrapped her in it. He wrapped his arms around her so that he could feel her heartbeat and breathing. He was not going to lose this girl to a small cut. Eventually he fell asleep as well.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The next morning Nikki woke up slowly. She took in the bright sunlight and then her head. It was still sore. She recalled the fight the night before and her meeting with the Rogue, George. He had bandaged her head, but she did not remember returning to her lodging. It was as she moved to touch the bandaging on her head that Nikki realized the extra heat and weight next to her.

"What in Mithros' name are you doing?" she screeched as she sat up and pushed herself as far away from George as possible. This did mean backing up into a corner, but Nikki was not as worried about escape routes right now. George, who had been sound asleep had rolled off of the bed and held up his hands in surrender.

"What were you doing?" Nikki repeated in a strained voice.

"I was just lookin' after you, lass. You had your injury and I had fixed you up, but you were shivering, probably from shock. I was keepin' you warm while makin' sure you made it through the night," George told her calmly. "I'm not losing a good thief to a small wound like that. Also, you and I both still have our clothes on. I didn't try anything. Trust me."

Nikki just pulled her legs up to her chest, wrapped her arms around her knees, and rested her head. Her injury was getting sore, but she didn't want to admit that in front of George. She watched as George gathered some things together. When he went into the other room, Nikki eyed her boots and weapon's belt. If she could just get to them before he came back, she could leave and go to another town where she would be invisible again. Nikki slid to the edge of the bed and let her feet touch the floor. She glanced at the other room, and seeing no sign of George, she propelled herself off of the bed and towards the table where her possessions were. As she neared the table, her head started to swim and her vision became splotchy. Nikki reached to stabilize herself with the table, but she knew she was going to miss and end up on the floor. Suddenly, George caught her from behind by wrapping his arm around her waist.

"Careful," cautioned George. He kept his arm around her. "Don't go doin' anything rash. You need to take it easy."

"Let go of me," Nikki ordered through clenched teeth. This man was being much too common with her. She grabbed his arm and tried to make him release her.

"Alright, alright, easy there," George said. He moved his arm while shaking his head at her insistence. She reminded him a lot of Alanna with her sharp tongue and distrust of others.

Nikki steadied herself against the edge of the table and turned to face George. She kept her eyes down. She was going to be bold and she knew it, but she needed answers more than she needed to be polite. "What do you want?"

"Hmmmm?" muttered George. He was giving her a questioning look.

Nikki rubbed her arms like she was cold. "What do you want from me? You sent your men to find me and then you chased me yourself. You obviously don't want me dead, so what do you want?" She had kept her eyes down and her voice was quiet.

George smiled and there was a laugh in his voice. "I really just wanted to talk to you, lass. You would have found that out easily enough if you had just come in the first place."

"Why would you want to talk to me?" she asked, sincerely confused. "I'm no one important and I just got here…"

George stepped back and leaned against the corner of the bed, his arms crossed over his chest. His eyes never left her face as he talked. "I am specifically interested in you because you just got here. I see, or hear about most of the folks who come through this city. I don't often hear of many young ladies traveling by themselves into Corus. I especially don't hear about a lot of ladies your age wearing breeches. I had to find out more about you and what you were doing here. When I heard you were a thief, I had to find out what you were doing in my territory. That's a king's job, you know. So I wanted to talk to you and, if you aren't working for another Rogue, I want you to join my Court."

Silence stretched between them as Nikki took in what George had just told her. He wanted her to join his Court of thieves? She said the first thing that came to mind. "I am not a thief."

"Oh really? And what are you then?" laughed George. "Stealin' bread and purses ain't your idea of thievery?"

Nikki blushed. "Well… I only do what I have to do to survive. And I've only been taking from the people who can afford to lose." Nikki sat down in one of the chairs and rested her head in one hand. Her cut was hurting more and she was trying to fully understand what George wanted from her. George saw her rubbing her head and concern clouded his face.

"Is that hurting you again? Maybe I should take you to a real healer. My medicinal skills are only mediocre at best." George smiled and Nikki looked up at him. She shook her head.

"No, I don't need a healer. I just need some rest." Nikki took her hand away from her head and grabbed her belt and strapped it around her waist.

"Can I at least take a look at it before you go to, wherever you're staying?" he asked. Nikki took a deep breath and looked him over. At last she nodded.

George came over and gently unwrapped the bandaging from her head. His hands were very soft and gentle; not what Nikki had expected from the hands of a thief. George looked at what he had stitched the night before.

"It's lookin' better already. Rest will be the best healer." George looked down at her. "Where are you staying? I want to walk with you in case you are still unsteady."

"No," Nikki spoke quickly and loudly and then had to remind herself to take a breath. "I can take care of myself. I don't need any help."

"So you keep telling me," commented George. There was a knowing look in his eye. "Who are you running from, Nikki?"

She was surprised that he had used her real name instead of calling her "lass". There was no way she was going to tell him why she was really in Corus or why she didn't want him to know where she was staying. "Who said I was running from someone? I might just not want unexpected visitors."

George inclined his head. "Very nice come back. Even if you insist on going on your own, at least think about coming by the Dancing Dove to see me and the rest of my Court. I may know some people you would find interesting. Plus, my offer still stands to welcome you into my Court."

Nikki pulled on her boots in silence. When she stood up, George was still watching her. She moved away from the table and was happy to find that most of the dizziness had passed now that she was moving at a calmer pace. George opened the door for her.

"At least let me walk you out," he insisted and Nikki shrugged. They walked quietly down to the bar area where Solom was sound asleep in a bar stool. The place was pretty much deserted now. Nikki took a look around and thought about how nice a place it actually was, even though it was normally filled with thieves. When they exited the building, Nikki stopped and turned to face George.

"Thank you for taking care of my cut," she said. George noticed that she was still avoiding his eyes most times that she talked to him. "Please don't follow me, or have anyone else follow me."

"I won't, Nikki. As long as I see you every once in a while at the Dove, I won't go looking for you unless I think you are in trouble."

"Do you look after all of your Court members like this?" she asked, looking him in the face.

"I try to," answered George. "That way they know I have their best interests at heart."

Nikki nodded and started to walk down the street. George watched her from his position outside of the inn. He wished he could go back on his word so soon and follow her. He wanted to make sure that she was safe, especially because she had been hurt and because she reminded him of Alanna. This was also why he had accepted her terms. If it had been Alanna, she would murder him if he acted like she was a girl who could not take care of herself. George finally turned and went back into the Dancing Dove.

Nikki walked quickly away from the Dancing Dove, but she was not heading to where she was staying. She wasn't sure whether George would stay true to his promise, so she would not go home right away. She also did not plan on going back to the Dancing Dove. She was not a thief. She didn't belong there. The more she thought about it, the more she sort of wanted to go back. She could learn important things by living among thieves, and she would have people to watch her back, like the boys from back home. After a while of walking, Nikki stopped and sat by one of the many fountains in Corus. It was a fun spot to sit because the water made such a pretty noise, and there were many people to watch. She spent her day wandering from place to place, just watching and enjoying the many peoples that gathered in Corus.

That evening, George sent a scout to see whether Nikki was even in the town area. The scout reported back that he had found her sleeping under one of the stalls that had been cleaned out for the night. George shook his head and decided to try and convince Nikki to take up some sort of proper lodgings within Corus.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Nikki was happy that George was giving her space. She had been wandering around and had finally gone to where her things were stored to change and wash up. When she had gotten back to the main part of the city she had started watching for her mark for the day. After a while she realized that there was someone following her. She kept to her normal routine of wandering among the stalls and new comers to Corus, but she also kept an eye out for her tail. He showed himself quickly and Nikki recognized him as one of George's scouts. She shook her head and evaded him long enough to find a hiding spot. When he walked by, looking confused, Nikki grabbed him by the back and pushed him into the wall of the alley.

"What do you want?" she asked.

"Nothin', miss," the thief stuttered. "George was just wantin' to know how you are doing. He wants to see you more often at the Dove."

Nikki rubbed her face. "Stop following me and tell George to leave me alone. I will come to the Dancing Dove if I want to." With that Nikki disappeared into the crowd, leaving the thief staring after her.

The thief immediately went back to George.

"That girl you sent me after is a witch I tell you," he explained. "She disappears and reappears so quick! I had the hardest time followin' her! She makes no noise and just blends in with the shadows! Her fightin' skill may not be the best, but if you want someone who can hide in plain sight, she's the one."

"Calm down Light Fingers," soothed George. "If you had a hard time following her, then she is very good at disappearing in plain sight. I don't think she is a witch though. She doesn't have the Gift or any other magic around her. She also has no ill will towards us, although since she realized you were following her, she may not like me that much anymore." George sat in a thoughtful silence. "Let her go. Like she said, she will come when she is ready."

Nikki went the rest of the day without finding herself being tailed by a thief. She hoped that this meant that the one she had caught earlier had relayed her wishes to George. Nikki kept trying to convince herself that she should leave and move on to another town, but she just couldn't make herself actually do it. There shouldn't be any reason for her to stay; she had chosen Corus because she had no connections to the area. She shrugged her shoulders and continued her wanderings.

That night, Nikki found herself outside of the Dancing Dove. She hadn't meant to go there, but her feet had led her. She moved into the shadows on the opposite side of the street and watched the inn for a little while. Through the windows she could see people talking, laughing, and having a fun time. They just looked like rowdy bar folk, not dangerous thieves. She took a deep breath; maybe being part of George's Court wouldn't be so bad. He did seem like he took good care of his people. Nikki finally moved across the road and into the Dancing Dove.

The light, sound, and warmth hit her all at the same time. She spotted the thief she had apprehended sitting at a gaming table and she noticed many people she passed on the street regularly. Some people were giving her looks and others just ignored her presence. She also noticed that as she made her way to the bar, some people's conversations stopped. When she got to the bar Solom gave her an interested look.

"What can I get you, lass?" he asked.

"Lemonade?"

"Give me a minute." He strode off, muttering about children not drinking like they should. Nikki shook her head and then jumped when someone put a hand on her shoulder.

"Sorry, I thought you would've sensed me coming," George laughed and took the bar stool next to hers. "I hadn't seen you and I was worried you were avoiding me."

"I was, but then you sent people to find me," said Nikki with a pointed look.

"I was making sure you weren't dead or caught by my lord Provost," George countered. Then he gave her a thoughtful look. "So why are you here then?"

Nikki looked down at the lemonade Solom had just put in front of her. She had been debating her answer since she had left George the other morning. "I think I would like to become part of your Court."

George smiled. "Don't act like you're selling your soul, I'm not that bad," he laughed. "I am happy that you decided to join us, Light Fingers over there was telling us how ghost like you can be."

Nikki grinned a little at that. "I was just trying to get away from the person tailing me. Will that still happen?"

"No, I won't have others followin' you quite so often, but I do want you to learn some more tools of our trade before I fully trust that you won't get yourself into much trouble." Nikki rolled her eyes, but George ignored her and waved over a younger man from one of the nearby groups. "Marek, this here is Nikki. Nikki this is Marek. I want the two of you to start working together. Marek, I want you to teach young Nikki here some fighting skills that I think she may lack. This will give you two something to do when there are no jobs around. Sound good to you?"

Marek looked Nikki over, which made her shudder. "I'll be glad to help the lady out with training." Nikki nodded, but she did not trust Marek. Truthfully, she did not trust anyone right then. George clapped both of them on the shoulder and left to go take care of his duties. Marek shrugged and left Nikki to go back to his game. Before he left though, he leaned into her. "Meet me tomorrow morning out back. We'll see how far behind you are in training." With that he went back to his game.

Nikki bristled a little at how he immediately thought that she could not fight, probably because she was a girl. She would show him. Hopefully she would not make a fool of herself the next morning and have him thinking even less of her. Nikki shook her head and took her lemonade over to table in a corner where she could watch the rest of the bar. She was interested in how well they all got along and worked together. She had always pictured thieves as being loners and not cooperating. Now she realized there was a whole other world among the market in Corus.

After a while of sitting and watching, Nikki decided it was time to go. She had her training in the morning and she did not want to make any mistakes because she was tired. George watched her as she got up and left. He hoped that Marek would work well with her, and that she would get a chance to learn some things from her as well.

When Nikki got to the farm where her things were, she climbed up to the hayloft and double checked that all of her clothes and personal items were still there. She hid them somewhere different every day so that the farmer's son would not go stealing anything. Nikki pulled out one of the blankets, curled up on the hay and fell asleep. The farmer's son would not come out to visit her at this hour, and she planned on being long gone before he woke up.


	5. Chapter 5

6

Chapter 5

The next morning found Marek and Nikki out behind the Dancing Dove. Nikki was covered in dirt and sweating, while Marek just looked bored. He had been putting her through some basic knife training, but he seemed to find it more enjoyable to send her falling onto the dirt. She got up and dusted herself off again.

"Can't you do anything? Hasn't anyone taught you to fight?" Marek taunted her.

"Aren't you supposed to be the one teaching me?" she snapped finally. "George asked you to help me learn fighting techniques."

"He asked me to see where you were, not to teach a beginner," Marek drawled.

"Well you are stuck with a beginner, so get used to it."

Marek straightened at her tone. He pulled his knife into a basic starting position. "Do you really want to start that fight? I could kill you so easily and leave you in a gutter. I am the best knife's man in the Rogue's Court."

Nikki put her own knife in the same position and watched his body for any movement. He was a very impulsive fighter, she had noticed this just in the time they had spent together that morning. He would just lash out at anything and she wasn't going to give him a chance to hurt her. Marek grinned slowly; he would enjoy showing this girl that she was not a high and mighty thief. She was in the bottom tier; she had to earn her way up the rungs just like everyone else.

Marek started to circle slowly, eyeing up his prey. Nikki matched him step for step as he moved around her. She would not let him out of her sight. When he finally lashed out, Nikki was ready for him. She blocked his knife and rolled out of the way. Marek looked surprised at her quick reflex. She didn't let any emotion play out on her face. Nikki set into her stance again and waited. She noticed that Marek's face had set into a more thoughtful look. He was taking her more seriously. His next attack was more sudden, she hadn't seen his body move ahead of time. He went for her knife arm, but she rolled under him and managed to kick the back of his knee, unfortunately, he didn't fall. He turned back and kicked her hand, making her drop her knife. She kicked out at his face, but he moved and she used the force to propel herself up to a standing position, while grabbing another knife out of her sleeve. Marek grunted and then tackled her. They both went flying and landed with Marek on top of Nikki with his knife against her throat.

"I win," Marek panted. He got up and offered her a hand. Nikki took the hand and pulled herself up. She then dusted herself off and picked up her other knife from where it lay in the dust. AS she was cleaning her knife, she happened to look over at Marek and noticed that he was watching her.

"What? Did I do something interesting?" she asked.

"You're not actually that bad for being a girl," Marek said like this was some brilliant insight. "I thought you would just back down from a real fight or challenge, but you faced me anyway." He paused for a moment. "You really made me work."

"So now will you take teaching me seriously?" Nikki stuck her knife back in her belt and watched him.

Finally he nodded his head. "If you keep up the work, you'll be really good with that knife. I may have to worry about my title as best knife's man." Nikki smiled and they set to work.

That night, Nikki went to the Dancing Dove to spend time with the other thieves. She sat quietly at the bar and watched all of the people coming and going. It was interesting to hear all of the stories that were flying around. Marek waved her over and she joined him at the gaming table. He was starting to explain the rules to her when George put a hand on her shoulder.

"Sorry, Marek, but could I borrow her for a moment?" he asked.

"I guess," shrugged Marek. "It really depends on whether she wants to go with you."

George laughed. "You found that out about her already?" He smiled at her, "are you coming?"

Nikki shrugged and followed George to the corner table she had occupied her first night at the Dancing Dove. It was now filled with four young men from the palace. Three were knights and the fourth, a small youth, was a squire. Nikki actually stopped and stared at the table as George went over and started saying hello. Nikki couldn't believe what she was seeing. The Prince and his friends were sitting surrounded by thieves in a local bar, this could not be happening. George motioned her over and she walked over stiffly.

"This is Nikki, one of my new recruits," announced George and everyone turned their eyes on her. "That is Gary, Raoul, Jonny and Alan." As George said their names each of them waved. Nikki nodded her head and then turned to George.

"And you are worried about me being caught by the Provost?" she asked.

"They are friends, they won't turn me in," George replied with a laugh, and then he left to go settle some other disputes.

"Why don't you have a seat?" offered Jonny. Nikki sat down slowly and fixed him with a glance.

"You're the prince, aren't you?" she asked quietly. They all looked at her and then Jon nodded.

"Yes, but not here in the city. Here I am just Jon or Jonny. I like it better that way."

"So you are new to Corus? I haven't seen you around here before," Gary commented.

"Yes, I just came to Corus. I think George just kind of wrapped me up with his other rogues," Nikki said with a sigh.

"That is so like George, I mean, he let's all of us spend our free time here," laughed Gary and the others nodded.

"So you're a thief?" asked Jon.

"I guess, but I don't really enjoying stealing or anything." Nikki shifted uncomfortably.

"We really don't mind the stealing, as long as we leave the town with full purses we are fine," said Raoul. "We've even been learning how to pick pockets a little." Nikki looked up at them with surprise.

"You don't think palace boys can pick pockets?" asked Gary impishly.

Nikki grinned a little. "I just never expected this group of palace boys to be interested in such a thing."

"How is it you know so much about palace people?" asked Alanna slightly suspiciously.

"I spent some time among nobles in my travels, not that they always knew I was there," said Nikki. She crossed her fingers under the table, hoping that no one would see through her lie. She need not have worried.

"You must be quite accomplished if you can go out among nobles and not be noticed," commented Gary.

"She is very good at sneaking up on others," said George as he swung himself into another seat at the table. "She is also a fairly quick learner." He directed his attention to Nikki. "Marek told me all of the work you did today. I may have to set up some duels to test my people one of these days."

Nikki shook her head and stood up. "I should really be going. I need to get to my quarters before it is too late." The others groaned and complained a little, but they said goodbye. George watched her as she left.

"What is it George?" asked Alanna.

"I really want to know where that girl goes at night. She won't tell me and I promised not to follow her." George shook his head. "I'm worried that she'll get herself into trouble."

"Well, you said you were training her, hopefully she will be able to take care of herself," said Jon, but he had a worried face as well. They continued chatting for a while and then the palace boys returned home and George went and roamed the streets, hoping to stumble across Nikki's hiding place.

Nikki ran back to the barn as quickly as possible. The farmer's son would not be happy if she kept evading him, and she needed somewhere to stay. As she ran up the road, she saw the light was still on in the barn loft. She took a deep breath and climbed the ladder leading to the loft from the outside of the barn.

"You are late again," drawled the teenage boy who was lounging on the hay.

"I'm sorry, but some of the people in town wanted me to stay and spend time with them and I couldn't come up with a reasonable excuse," she replied, still breathing heavily.

"I thought you wanted to spend more time with me," he said.

"Colin, I told you that I am only here for a little while and then I will move on. Don't get used to my presence."

"Don't go usin' that fancy language, it ain't fair," Colin mumbled. "And I thought you wanted to be my girl. I am gonna need a wife in not too long." Colin stood up and came over to brush some hair out of her face. Nikki wanted to cringe, but she stopped herself using all of the self-control in her body.

"I am not looking for a husband. I have told you that before, Colin," she said with forced calm. She would never marry a person like Colin. He was far too sure of himself.

"Aw, you might change your mind," Colin said as he started to climb back down the ladder. "I put some supper there for you and you should come by the stream to do laundry with me tomorrow morning." Nikki smiled and nodded as he climbed down and then she let out a deep sigh when he had left the barn. She couldn't stand Colin, but he had allowed her to stay here in the barn and he would give her food when she really couldn't find anything else. She kept trying to keep him at arm's length, but he was not getting the message.

Nikki sat down on one of the bales and ate the biscuits that Colin had brought. She would have to go and meet him by the stream in the morning, but she was worried that he was looking for more than someone to wash clothes with. Also, if she didn't go, he would tell his parents and then she would be out of a place to live. Nikki sighed again, changed her clothes, wrapped herself in a blanket and fell asleep.

Back in Corus, George wandered around the edge of the city. He would stop and talk to some of his scouts, but then he would keep moving. Finally, he climbed up to the top of the wall and met up with the last of his look-outs.

"Anything new happen tonight?" he asked as he sat down besides the other man.

"Not much, but I did see a shadow movin' mighty fast down that road there," the other man commented.

George perked up and turned his attention more fully on the news. "Was it really Nikki? Did you see where she went?"

"I'm pretty sure it was our new lass and she was movin' towards the barns down to the right. I wonder if she's livin' with one of them farmin' families down there."

"That would make sense, wouldn't it?" said George thoughtfully. With that, he leaped down from the wall and started to wander the road, looking for any sign that Nikki had passed.

George kept up a steady pace as he trotted down the lane. He didn't want to come upon Nikki too quickly, but he did want to catch up with her. As he finally rounded one of the larger fences, he noticed a small dark figure peering around a gate and into one of the yard. George crept forward and was close enough to see that the figure's long hair swept out behind her as she ran through the gate and into the yard. George waited a moment and then let himself through the gate. As he looked around, he noticed that there was light in the hayloft. That seemed odd to him because no one should be up there at this time of night, and if Nikki was up there, she wouldn't call attention to herself by lighting a lamp. Then he realized that Nikki was just nearing the top of the ladder on the outside of the hayloft. She paused for a moment and then climbed in through the window. George had to know what was going on, so he crept in through the barn door which had been left ajar. Once he was inside, George snuck over to the inside ladder to the hayloft and climbed up so that he could better hear what was going on. Much to his surprise, he found that this trapdoor was also still cracked, so he could catch a glimpse of what was going on inside.

Nikki climbed in to the loft with her back facing the inside. She moved the ladder aside slowly and then turned to face Colin. She could tell from the look on his face that he was not happy.

"You told me you were goin' to be back earlier tonight," he demanded.

"I'm sorry, but there were people at the inn that I had to meet," Nikki said as she moved to sit on one of the bales of hay.

"I don't believe you," said Colin. "I think you been lying to me about where you at. I think you're avoiding me."

"Colin, why would I do that?" asked Nikki in her sweetest tone. "You are giving me shelter and food, why would I be avoiding you?"

"I think you are trying to get out of your side of the bargain. I told you I want a wife out of this," said Colin as he moved in her direction.

Nikki stood up. "Colin, I have told you many times that I am not planning on staying here much longer. I'll move away from Corus really soon and then you won't ever see me again. I don't plan on being married."

"You should change your mind," Colin said quietly, but forcefully. He took her one hand in both of his. "I could be a great husband and everyone would be jealous of my beautiful wife. We would have our own farm and lots of children." Nikki swallowed loudly and tried to pull her hand away, but he wouldn't release his grip. George was starting to grind his teeth at this boy's impotence.

"Colin, no, I will not marry you, and there is nothing you can do about it," said Nikki as she finally wrenched her arm out of his hands. "I don't want to be married, and especially not to you." She knew she had just lost her right to stay there, but she didn't care at that point. Colin was becoming too possessive.

"My pa told me that some women don't know what they really want and we have to show 'em," said Colin as he moved towards her again. He reached for her waist, but Nikki slapped his hand away. Without hesitation, Colin reached up and smacked Nikki hard across the face. Stunned by the force of the blow, Nikki fell over onto the floor and Colin crouched over her, pinning her arms to the floor. "This is woman's proper place. You need to remember that men tell you what to do, not the other way around." Nikki struggled, but she couldn't get out from under Colin. He was practically strangling her by sitting on her rib cage. Both Nikki and Colin jumped when the trap door slammed open.

George had gotten so mad with Colin's behavior that he knew he had to step in. "Get off of her," George demanded. Colin just stared at him.

"And who are you thinkin' you can tell me what to do on my property?" said Colin indignantly, but he still had not gotten off of Nikki. "This is my woman and you can't have her now go away. "

George smiled a grim smile. "She ain't nobody's woman, especially yours. Now get off of her before I make you." Colin just stayed there, so George walked over and grabbed him by the back of his shirt and easily lifted the boy off of Nikki and then pinned him up against the wall with his knife point at the boy's throat. "Nikki, if you want to get your things I think you should gather them now while he's occupied."

Nikki sat there on the floor and stared at George. She was thankful for his appearance, but also upset that he had seen her in that sort of position. She did not want men to think they had to help her and fight for her, but George really had saved her. She got up shakily and stuffed her things into her bag. She wrapped her cloak around her and as she moved towards the loft opening with the ladder outside the building George started to back away from Colin, who leaned against the wall for support.  
>"Now, you are going to let us go and you are never going to touch Nikki again," said George threateningly.<p>

Colin stood there and stared at Nikki and George. "I just wanted a wife, you would have been happy with me."

Nikki shook her head. "I would never be happy as a wife," she said quietly and then she began to climb down the ladder. George waited until Nikki was halfway down before he climbed down to join her. When he reached the bottom, he realized that Nikki was already nearing the edge of the farm. George ran to catch up with her.

"Nikki! Nikki, please wait!" called George as he finally caught up with her. "I didn't mean to follow you, but I had to know where you were staying and why you always disappeared earlier at night." Nikki just kept walking. She did not want to talk about what had just happened. "Nikki, where are you going now?"

Nikki walked on in silence for a little bit, but then she started to slow down. She sighed deeply. "I don't know. I'll probably just move on to another town and start over again. It's not like I have anywhere else to go, also this was my original plan anyway. I just want to keep moving."

"Are you sure that is what you want?" asked George as he kept step with her. "Could I talk you into staying around Corus? I still want you to be part of my court."

"Where would I stay? I can't pay for an apartment or inn room and I will not take pure charity. Where can I stay?"

"I know of someone who will let you stay for free, and you can find some way to balance it out later," said George with a hopeful glance in her direction. Nikki thought about his offer. She wanted to stay in Corus as much as she wanted to leave. She was starting to make friends and fit into life in Corus, but she did not want these people to learn about her and her past. Maybe it would not hurt to stay for a little while longer, she could always leave later.

"Who is this person that will let a thief stay in their home?" Nikki asked with a sideways glance at George.

George smiled broadly and put an arm around her shoulders and steered her back towards the city. Nikki let him steer her because she trusted that he would not do anything to her. He had stood up for her against Colin and he did not seem interested in the same things that Colin had been interested. George led Nikki through the streets of Corus until they stopped in front of a gate with the Healer's sign on it. Nikki gave George a raised eyebrow, but he just smiled and opened the gate. Nikki was surprised to see that the lights were still on in the house at this time of night. George led her right up to the door and opened it for her.

Nikki stepped in slowly and took in the spotless and welcoming kitchen. There were herbs hanging from the ceiling around the hearth and there was a pot of steaming water hanging over the fire. Nikki turned to find George watching her from his spot by the door. Then a door behind Nikki opened and an elderly woman stepped out into the kitchen. Nikki spun and realized that the woman had the same eyes as George.

"And who is this young woman?" asked the elderly lady kindly. "I was not expecting visitors at this late hour. Would you like some tea?"

"Tea sounds great," said George happily as he seated himself at the table. "This here is Nikki, one of my new recruits. Nikki, this is my mother, Eleni Cooper."

Nikki stared at this seemingly respectable woman who had the king of the court of the rogue as her son. Eleni looked Nikki over as well. "You are one of George's thieves? You must be good then, he only takes the best."

George smiled a little. "She's getting there. We are still training her."

"You want me to stay here? With your mother?" asked Nikki staring straight at George.

He gave her a steady glance back. "It would be a good place for you to stay. She is used to having thieves around and she has some extra rooms. You would be inside Corus and thus safer. I think it is a great situation."

Eleni looked at Nikki. "You are looking for a room? That is easy to accommodate. I have a few extra patient rooms upstairs that are not being used. In fact most of them are usually empty."

Nikki started to shake her head. "No, I can't take a room away from someone who may need it. This just feels wrong, and I don't know how I would ever repay you."

"You wouldn't have to repay me child," said Eleni gently, but seeing Nikki's face she continued. "But if you feel you must, you can help me with some of the more routine patients and preparing some of the herbs."

"I still can't take rooms that you might need for patients," insisted Nikki. "I can make myself perfectly comfortable in the loft in the barn. Then I won't ever be in your way."

Eleni gave Nikki a long look. "I guess you could stay out there if you insist, but it would really be more comfortable to stay here in the house where it will be warmer when the cold weather hits."

"No, really I would much rather stay in the barn," said Nikki quickly. "Thank you very much for your hospitality, Mistress Cooper." Eleni smiled and poured tea for George and herself and then got out a cup for Nikki. When she turned around though, Nikki had already let herself out the back door. Mistress Cooper sighed.

"Where did you find that child?" she asked George as she set his cup in front of him.

"I heard about her when she came into Corus and started pick-pocketing people," said George. "I honestly don't know anything else about her other than that." He hesitated for a moment. "I am not sure she trusts me yet."

"Well, your line of work does not necessarily encourage trust," said Mistress Cooper with a small smile. "But, I hope you will find out more about her. I think there is more going on here than meets the eye."


End file.
